By Jon Arizumi, President

WOW!  Time sure flies by when you're having fun!

At the East Hawai'i Hiroshima Kenjinkai 45th Anniversary Celebration, I had the honor to meet with the Governor of Hiroshima - Hidehiko Yuzaki and Chairman Masao Hayashi of Hiroshima Prefectural.   It was a pleasant surprise to find out Governor Yuzaki received his graduate degree from Sanford University.  Approximatel 100 members joined in on the celebration.   

On August 29, our Chamber hosted a Farewell Luncheon for Consul General and Mrs. Yoshihiko Kamo.  Mahalo to all who helped arrange for the festivities; Art Taniguchi, Lei Momi Fujiyama, Tommy Goya, Dwayne Mukai and other members made it a very memorable event.  (See article)

In previous years, members have requested that HELCO host a "Goji Kara" event at their facility.  Under the leadership of HELCO President, Mr. Jay Ignacio, this event came to fruition on September 27 to a sold out crowd.  Chamber members and their guests had a rare opportunity to tour HELCO's Hill Power Plant and speak with HELCO President  regarding their utility concerns.   Special mahalo to all who made the experience worthwhile:  Social and Culture Chairperson - Janice Bueltmann, Josie Kiyan, Tracey Miura, Amanda Lee and Lei Momi Fujiyama.  This was JCCIH Chamber's first "Goji Kara" at HELCO. 

Our Chamber has more exhilarating events scheduled for the remainder of 2012.

The 14th annual Taste of Hilo was held at the Hilo Honpa Hongwanji Sangha Hall on Sunday, October 21st from 1 to 3 pm to a SOLD OUT crowd of 600 people.  Proceeds from this signature fundraising event will support higher education opportunities at Hawai'i Community College.  Established at Nani Mau Gardens in 1998, this event has come a long way over the years and we are proud of the accomplishments and difference it has made in the lives of students. 

I am sincerely humbled and honored to represent the chamber as I travel to our sister Chamber, Higashi-Hiroshima, to attend the 2012 Sake Festival in October.  I'm looking forward to continuing the fellowship, exchange of culture and business goals established with our sister city since 1999. 

Thank you for your continued support of our Chamber.  
 
Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!    

But our Christmas Party date is set! 

*Please save the date and join us:*

More information coming soon.

Mahalo nui!

The Japanese are very punctual.  Like any generalization, of course there are exceptions, but these standout because of the stark contrast.  If you make a dinner appointment for 20 people at 7 o'clock, you can be sure to have 20 people assembled and ready at 6:57.  When a store opens, the deadbolt in the front door turns exactly on the hour.  S

A busy train pulls into the station, exactly on time.

tores and restaurants give you 15 minutes warning to make sure you're out by closing time (and they don't have to worry about stragglers).  The best example is the train system.   In Japan I literally set my watch by the trains. And that watch stood me in good stead from one end of the country to the other (from Sapporo Hokkaido to Fukuoka Kyushu).

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Japanese punctuality is that they do it all manually.  They use less automatization than Americans.
 

On Thursday, September 27, HELCO opened their doors at the Kanoelehua Baseyard (Hill Station) to the members of JCCIH for  a   Goji Kara event.  When we arrived, we were treated to yummy pupus such as sushi, nori chicken, nishime, poke and won tun.  HELCO President Jay Ignacio gave a  short presentation about HELCO's commitment to obtain more electricity through renewable resources.  

After Jay's presentation, we separated into five groups which were escorted by HELCO employees.  My group leader was Chris, a Safety Manager, and our first stop was the SmartMetering presentation.  The SmartMeter is currently in its test phase with HELCO employees.  The SmartMeter has the ability to relay information to display units within households so that the households can be more in control of their electricity usage. 

Our third stop was at the engineering building with Amanda Lee, who did a short talk about phantom power and new energy saving power strips, which were supplied at no charge to attendees, courtesy of hawaiienergy.com.  We were allowed to sign up to receive a power strip, which we took home that night.

The fourth stop, was a presentation by a HELCO engineer, who showed us the display screen of the main control systems.  We could see which units were running at the different capacities and how much electricity their partner energy producers were generating.

During our last stop, we learned about something called CarinaCollar, a new type of  energy intelligent technology that  wirelessly notifies HELCO operators if the electricity is cut off at a residence because of fallen trees or other types of interruptions.  There are currently around 30 collars in use at HELCO.  The Carina Collar eliminates the costs and hazards of reading and servicing hard-to-read meters and challenging accounts, making it easier for HELCO to service its customers and _____

At the end of the night, HELCO generously gave attendees a goodie bag filled with a coffee mug or a business card holder.    

We had a great time at the Hill Station.  We were fortunate to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the electricity that comes into our homes and businesses is produced.  It was also good to know that HELCO is looking towards the future and testing items such as the SmartMetering and the Carina Collar.  

HawCC Update
By Chancellor Noreen Yamane

Hawai'i Community College hosted two groups from Japan in July and September as part of the Office of Continuing Education and Training's short-term Study to Hawai'i program.  The Nago City Board of Education from Okinawa, Japan selected 12 middle school students to spend three weeks of their summer on the Big Island.  Hawai'i Community College partnered with Hui Okinawa to host this group of girls in providing homestay experiences as well as helping with their Haari Boat Festival this past July.  Mayor Susumu Inamine from Nago City, Mayor Choko Taira from Kumejima, and their entourage from the Board of Education, Department of Education, and Kumejima High School visited the Hawai'i Community College campus and were welcomed with a Kipaepae ceremony.  Daily English language and conversation practice with local students, shadowing Waiakea Intermediate School students for a day, staying at Kilauea Military Camp and in Kona highlighted these juniro high school students' stay.  Both Nago City and Kumejima Mayors are looking forward to sending selected students to the Big Island for the next ten years. 

Hakuoh University of Japan has sent their students to Kapi'olani Community College for the past six years and also offers a Hakuoh Handbell Choir concert on Oahu annually.  For the first time this year, Hawai'i Community College was given the opportunity to host an inaugural group of 15 college students in early September.  Students teamed with the Human Services class to prepare omiyage for residents at the Hilo Adult Day Care Center.  Each component of this week-long program linked Hawai'i's culture to their own culture in Japan through the realization of commonalities between our customs (Hawaiian and Japanese).  They plan to send more students to Hawai'i Community College again next year. 

 

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On August 29th, the JCCIH helped to organize a farewell luncheon for Consul General and Mrs. Yoshihiko Kamo at the Hilo Yacht Club.
 

Attendees included Mayor Billy Kenoi, State Representative Clifton Tsuji and representatives for the various Kenjin Kai's and Japanese-affiliated organizations.  We also had the President of the Kona Hiroshima Kenjin Kai and a director of the Kona Japanese Civic Association.

Consul General Kamo has a distinguished career in the Diplomatic Corps and is now in Tokyo to receive his official appointment as Ambassador to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.  He and his wife have made a tremendous impact on the people of Hawai'i and was very supportive of us on the Big Island.

 

 

 

Consul General and Mrs. Kamo sent me a card asking me to relay their thanks to all who attended the farewell luncheon.  They went to visit the Subaru facility on Mauna Kea that afternoon and had dinner at Hale Pohaku, then descended to the visitor center for star-gazing.

The next morning, we had a short memorial service for the two deceased cadets buried at Alae Cemetery in the late 1920's and the Consul General and his wife wanted to pay their respects.

 

A big mahalo to Lei Fujiyama at our office whose efforts were instrumental in making the event a success.  

 

  

 

 

 

State DOE Superintendent Outlines New Strategic Plan for Hawai'i's Schools

By Carol VanCamp 

Hilo High School alumna, Kathryn Matayoshi, who now leads the Hawai'i Dept. of Education, unveiled the DOE's plans to reform and improve  K-12 public  education during a presentation to the joint Government Affairs and Education Committees of JCCIH and HICC on Oct.12th.

She emphasized the need to establish partnerships outside of the DOE to better prepare students for entry into college and the job market, noting that the DOE cannot accomplish this alone.  For the first time, the

new strategic plan has been DOE by the DOE and the Board of Education.  The plan focuses on student growth and their readiness for college and careers upon graduation.

Teacher evaluations are also on the DOE's agenda, with a focus on teacher improvement as opposed to getting rid of teachers.  This will be accomplished through professional development and training.  According to Matayoshi, recent test scores for students in grades 4-8 have shown significant improvement in math and reading.  An $11 million one-year program currently in effect is targeting the achievement of students in the lowest socio-economic areas and includes the Pahoa-Kea'au-Ka'u and Waianae school complexes.  In these two complexes, the funds are being used to extend the school day to provide various types of remedial and supplemental programs to help students improve.

 

 Matayoshi was appointed State DOE superintendent in September 2010 after having served as interim superintendent for eight months.  She is an attorney and former director of the Hawaii Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  Her expertise in public policy and strategic planning has been integral to transforming and streamlining the DOE's systems and operations.
 

The presentation also included time for questions from Chamber members and an update on DOE plans to reduce costs by $2 million annually by making each school

building a net energy producer within the next three to five years.

Tommy's Time